There is a delightful story about a little girl who memorized the 23rd Psalm to recite at a Sunday school program. She was able to say it perfectly to her parents as they drove to the program. When it was her turn, she nervously stepped up on the stage in front of the microphone and turned to face the audience — the biggest audience she had ever seen. She said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” and then she panicked, and suddenly her little mind went completely blank. She stood in complete silence for several seconds. Finally she blurted out, “That’s all I need to know,” and ran back to her seat.
What she said was more profound than she realized. If the Lord really is our shepherd, then, in a sense, that is all we need to know. A shepherd takes care of the sheep. The sheep do not have to worry about their needs because that is the shepherd’s job.
If the Lord is our shepherd, the rest of the psalm applies to us. He will make us to lie down in green pastures; he will lead us beside the still waters. He will restore our soul; he will lead us in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil: for he will be with us; his rod and His staff will comfort us. He will prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies; he will anoint our head with oil; and our cup will run over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
What a great way to live. If the Lord is our shepherd then we will “seek the Lord, and we shall not want any good thing.” If the Lord is our shepherd then “he will deliver us from all our fears.” All things will work together for our good, and we really can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, if the Lord truly is our shepherd.
How can we make the little girl’s words true for us, so that we can say, “That’s all I need to know”? Those words will apply to us if we “trust in the Lord with all our heart and do not lean upon our own understanding,” because then “He will direct our paths.” If we set our purpose in life to “seek the Lord”, then we will be in good hands following our shepherd. He will keep us safe. We need him to guide us because there is a way that seems right to mankind, but its end is the way that leads to death. Jesus tells us to choose our way carefully because “The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. Many people go through that gate.” There is only one way and that one way is following the good shepherd. Jesus has said to us, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We do need to be aware of one important consideration: if the Lord is our shepherd, then we are not free to go where we want to go or free to do what we want to do. If he is our shepherd then we must allow him to direct our paths. We must obey our shepherd. We read, “Obey all the Lord’s laws and commands, so that you may live in safety.” If we love him we will keep his commandments.
We love our shepherd because of his care for us. Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus our shepherd gave up his life for his sheep. He is gathering his flock. We want to be among those whom he is gathering.
So let us choose to make the Lord our shepherd, and then that is truly all we need to know. If we set our mind to follow him, he will lead us to places in his everlasting kingdom.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One